I realize that the one drum I bang over and over is the command of Jesus to love one another as Jesus loved us. If we are to be true disciples of Jesus, we must put into action his commandment to love.
Jesus made it very clear to the Pharisees of his time that it was not enough to just follow Mosaic Law. A rote living of the Law was worthless. They were called to live beyond the letter of the Law, they must live the spirit of the Law. The same criticism that Jesus levels against the Pharisees is also leveled against those of us who are his disciples. We not only hear this in the Gospels, this same message is repeated over and over again in the pastoral letters of the Christian Testament. James is particularly critical of his Christian community in his letter. “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2: 14-17*)
We may be tempted to think that this commandment to love is far too remote from our human nature that has been altered by Sin, to far out of reach for us mere mortals. The author of Deuteronomy concludes otherwise.“For this command that I enjoin on you today is not too mysterious and remote for you. it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out.” (Dt 30: 11, 14) This commandment to love was placed in our mouths and our hearts at the moment of our conception. We have the power to engage it in our lives. We, also, have the power to ignore it, or repress it in our lives.
Jesus illustrates this so brilliantly to his audience in the parable of the Good Samaritan. The one quality, the one virtue that presents itself in loving one another is the virtue of mercy. The mercy of the despised Samaritan toward the victim of the robbers, far surpasses that of the religious authorities of the Jewish people, namely the temple priest and the Levite. Love is expressed best in the mercy that we extend to others. “Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” (Luke 10: 37)
If we are to be disciples of Jesus, we must be people of mercy. To live the commandment of love does not absolve us of confronting those who live unmercifully. Indignation and confrontation is not inconsistent with the commandment to love. Jesus, the embodiment of love, at times with great indignation confronted the unmerciful of his time. As disciples of Jesus we cannot standby silent when confronted with the unmerciful behavior of others. Discrimination is a prime example of unmerciful behavior. Discrimination is a sin against the commandment to love. Behaviors or unjust laws that discriminate against people of color, culture, or sexual orientation cannot be excused or ignored by the disciple of Jesus. To remain silent is to be complicit in the sin of discrimination. We, as disciples of Jesus, must rise and confront with indignation those who discriminate, including our own religious leaders.
Mahatma Ghandi’s criticism of Christians focused on the fact that Christians have rarely believed and lived the commandments of Jesus. Our lack of faith, as James points out explicitly, is evidenced in our own lack of mercy. Whether it be immigrant children and families caged like animals on our southern borders, or laws and actions repressing the rights of peoples and nations, born and unborn, we must as disciples of Jesus confront our world and remind the world, by our own actions, the unlimited mercy of God expressed in the life of Jesus.
*All scriptural quotations are from the New American Bible.
